Dirty tricks: Varandas responds to Luis Suárez case, shows Sporting stance | OneFootball

Frederico Varandas reacted harshly to Hakan Safi’s statements about Luis Suárez and made it clear that the Colombian forward is not for sale for any amount below his release clause. The Sporting president also took the opportunity to criticize what he sees as external attempts to create instability at Alvalade.

He also took aim at Safi’s campaign director, whom he linked to Porto circles.

"I do not know the gentleman running for the Fenerbahçe presidency, but we know his campaign director very well. He lives in the city of Porto, and we are used to the playbook he uses. Him and his friends. Those dirty tactics do not work at Sporting. They backfire. They do not work at Sporting...", said Varandas.

The president of the green-and-whites also recalled an episode involving Morten Hjulmand in the last winter transfer window, suggesting that stories were planted to destabilize Sporting before a clash with Porto.

"I remember it well — recently, on the last day of the winter transfer window, a story came out about an alleged offer from Atlético de Madrid for captain Morten Hjulmand. An offer that never existed, but we know where the story came from, who planted it, and, coincidentally, it was a week before the Porto-Sporting match. Coincidences...", he fired back.

On the possibility of Luis Suárez leaving, Varandas was unequivocal and sent a direct message to Hakan Safi if he ends up winning the Turkish club’s elections: "I can give a guarantee. If that gentleman happens to win the election, Suárez’s price is 80 million euros, not one cent less. He does not even need to speak to us. He just has to make the payment," he said.

The Sporting official also addressed the alleged understanding between the Turkish businessman and the player, arguing that the Colombian’s representatives ended up falling into a strategy whose real aim was not exactly to sign the forward.

"One of an agent’s duties is to protect his player and have the intelligence to realize he has fallen into a trap, where the objective is not a move to Fenerbahçe but to create a fuss around Suárez. Which does not exist, because the player is a great professional and next year he will be wearing green and white," he assured.

In closing, Varandas offered an optimistic prediction for next season for the 'number 97 shirt', who shone for the Lions in 2025/26: "Suárez is a great professional. He scored 38 goals and next year he will score 40, I think. Forty," concluded the Sporting president.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.